


That Would Be Enough

by ireallydowritelikeimrunningoutoftime



Series: The Greatest Showman/Hamilton Crossovers [1]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda, The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: Charity is a QUEEN - Freeform, Crossover, F/M, Fluff, One Shot, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:40:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24343666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ireallydowritelikeimrunningoutoftime/pseuds/ireallydowritelikeimrunningoutoftime
Summary: "Do you relish being a poor man's wife, unable to provide for your life?""I relish being your wife."So basically I was listening to Hamilton and TGS and I realized that Tightrope is kinda similar to That Would Be Enough, in the sense that both Charity and Eliza chose to marry their husbands out of their love, despite the fact that neither of them had "a dollar to their name" and despite knowing that they didn't "come from much". They stuck by them even when it wasn't easy. (Plus I loved the idea of a fluffy Phinity fic where P.T. finds out Charity is pregnant, the two of them don't get enough love from the fandom and Charity is an absolute QUEEN)
Relationships: Charity Barnum & P. T. Barnum, Charity Barnum/P. T. Barnum
Series: The Greatest Showman/Hamilton Crossovers [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1757536
Comments: 7
Kudos: 12





	That Would Be Enough

"Charity, sweetheart?" Phineas shut the door behind him before slumping against the wall, overcome with exhaustion.

"Phin? Oh, thank goodness, I was beginning to worry." Charity hurried to greet him, and he quickly straightened, not wishing to worry her further. She had enough on her mind, thanks to him. His eyes softened he saw her, his entire face lighting up as she wrapped her arms around him. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, letting her warmth engulf him, before she drew back to take a good look at him. "Phin, you don't look too good. You haven't been getting nearly as much sleep as you should." Charity doubted her husband had gotten more than a few hours of sleep each night since they had married; he was constantly working on one thing or another, trying to work several jobs simultaneously. He thought she didn't notice, but she took in everything. The candlelight that stayed on until a late hour in the night, his red eyes when he rose early in the morning, the constant weariness in his expression. He was away for much of the day, and even when at home Charity could rarely convince him to take a break from his work.

"I'm fine," he said briefly, cutting off the subject. She could see in his eyes that it was a lie. "How are you, yourself?" Charity hesitated.

"I haven't been feeling all too well," she replied honestly. Phineas looked at her, concerned.

"Is something wrong, love?" Charity hesitated.

"Phineas, there's something I wish to discuss with you."

"You know you can tell me anything, Charity, love."

"I- I believe that I'm pregnant." If they had been in a different situation, she might have laughed at the look on his face. For several moments he could only gape at her, jaw dropped, his wife having rendered him speechless, before he broke into a wide smile.

"That's wonderful, Charity!" He beamed, gazing at her with misty eyes, only now noticing the slight rise in her stomach. Charity beamed as well, before frowning a little.

"Phin- do we have enough- I mean, you work so hard, I'm not sure if now is the best time-" she fumbled for the right words, desperately trying to get her meaning out. Phineas's eyes widened as her words sank in.

"Charity, we will welcome this child into the world with every opportunity we can give them, and our child will be clothed and fed and given a loving home." He looked around him at their apartment. It was small, but it was enough for the two of them, and well-kept thanks to Charity. Even with three people the space would be tight. He shook his head, resting his hand on the bump in her stomach that was their child. He looked up at her, jaw firmly set. "No matter what it takes." Charity smiled, believing him. She only wished he wouldn't work himself so hard.  
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now that he knew he was soon to have a child, Phineas worked himself harder than he ever had before. He tried to hide it from his wife, telling himself that she had enough to worry about. But he was only human, and the effects of the strain from work could be clearly seen from even just a glance at him. It was one night in early spring when Phineas stumbled home after a draining afternoon, the fatigue having caught up to his body. When Charity met him at the door, he practically collapsed into her arms, trying to not shake as he caught her arm, steadying himself. "Phin? Phineas, are you all right? Phineas!"

"Yes, darling, don't worry." He answered far too quickly, and Charity shook her head at him as he inhaled deeply, determined not to let his weak state show. His wife wasn't fooled.

"Phineas Taylor Barnum, I won't let you go on like this. You're working yourself to death!"

"I have to, I can't lose my job again when we're about to have a child!"

"Phin, do you know why I married you?" He started a little at the abrupt question, before hesitating. Nothing came to mind. After all, when he's asked for her hand, he'd had nothing. A penniless orphan without a dollop of fame or a dollar to his name. But nonetheless she'd begged for her father's blessing, ran away with him to begin a new life, flung herself into his arms and sworn that he was hers for as long as they lived and beyond that; why indeed? "I wasn't in love with you because you had a well-known name, or because you came from a wealthy family. The suitors my father found for me had those things and more, but they all thought they could win my heart with their fame and wealth, without showing any true affection for me. Not for a Hallett, but for Charity, for me. I fell in love with you because of your honesty, your compassion, your courage and determination, the way you always treated me with respect. Not just anyone would have defied my father to be with me, or found time to write me daily, even while struggling to survive himself. I love you, Phineas Barnum, and I am proud to be your wife, and even prouder to soon raise a child with you." She pulled him into a hug, and he melted into it, wondering what he had done to deserve her, the best of wives and best of women. He still struggled to believe her words, for in his eyes, the man he saw in the mirror had little resemblance to the man she believed to have married.

"Do you relish being a poor man's wife, unable to provide for your life?" he couldn't help but whisper into her shoulder, voice cracking with emotion.

"I relish being your wife," she whispered back, holding him closely. She drew back and met his eyes, holding his gaze. "Phin, look at where you are now. Now look at where you started. The fact that you're alive is a miracle; just stay alive for me, Phin, that would be enough. And if this child shares a fraction of your smile, or a fragment of your mind, well, look out world! That would be enough." He stared at his wife, the words registering in his mind. After his father had died, he'd had nothing to live for, no family to speak of. Now, he had an angel for a wife and was soon to have a young son or daughter. That in itself was enough to make him the luckiest man alive.

"Thank you. I love you, so much, Charity," he said softly. "It's just been difficult, knowing that there's so little I can do. I would do anything to keep out child from being raised in poverty, and I know it must be hard for you as well." Charity nodded, glad he had at long last confessed the nagging thoughts that had been on his mind ever since she'd told him of her pregnancy.

"I don't pretend to know the challenges you're facing." She had always been intrigued my his imagination, his ability to erase and create entire worlds in his mind. "But Phin, I'm not afraid; I know who I married. Just so long as you come home at the end of the day; that would be enough."

"I will," he promised. "I will always be yours."

"We don't need a legacy," she murmured to him. "We don't need money. If I could grant you peace of mind, if you could let me inside your heart, and let me be a part of your narrative, then that would be enough. Let this moment be the first chapter in our story, the moment where you decide to stay."

"Always," he repeated. He led her to the roof, where they gazed up at the stars, hand in hand, promising to never let go. They stayed that way for the rest of the night, Charity resting her head on Phineas's shoulder, Phineas stroking her hand. And it was enough.


End file.
